Zach Suddath never really liked Key Lime Pie as a kid. It wasn’t until his dad developed a special recipe for a new restaurant he was opening that he finally fell in love with the dessert.
“Oh my God, I figured it out. I made the Key Lime Pie,” Zach’s father David announced.
By the end of the night, Zach had eaten the entire remaining half of the cake, which is now a fan favorite at Mallards, a restaurant his parents, David and Gail Suddath, eventually founded in 2013.
This winter, David and Gail will open their sixth location — and first in the Milwaukee area — at the Bayshore shopping center in Glendale. The opening is scheduled for November or December, according to an Aug. 22 press release.
Based in the Midwest, the family-owned restaurant serves fresh seafood, Cajun dishes and American favorites, including chicken and waffles, lobster rolls, jambalaya and surf and turf, according to the restaurant’s website.
Zach, the restaurant’s IT and marketing director, said it will be the second Mallards in the state. Mallards currently has four locations in Minnesota and one in New Richmond.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mallards to Bayshore and the surrounding North Shore,” said Mary Mokwa, Bayshore’s executive manager. “The menu is unique to the area and Mallards’ warm and inviting ambiance is a great fit for the community.”
Where will the new Mallards restaurant be located?
The new location at Bayshore Shopping Center in Glendale will be located at 5689 N. Bayshore Drive in a 9,000-square-foot space with outdoor patio seating adjacent to The Yard, the mall’s open-air public area, according to the Aug. 22 press release.
How did Mallards get started?
Mallards was “born on a river,” Zach said.
David and Gail opened the first franchise in 2013 in a marina on the St. Croix River in Bayport, Minnesota, the press release said.
David had worked in the restaurant industry for nearly 30 years, starting as a dishwasher at Perkins, Zach said, and eventually becoming a manager there and at several other restaurants, including the Cheesecake Factory and the Olive Garden.
The family moved from Kansas City, Missouri to St. Paul, Minnesota in 2008 to take David’s position as Division Vice President at Bucha di Beppo. After traveling across the country for the position, David was ready to start his own business focused on the foods he loved to cook and eat.
“It really was a family business at first,” says Zach.
“The whole family came together, my brother, my sister, my mom, my dad, some of our friends, and we all shed blood, sweat and tears. And I guess the rest is kind of history now.”
What will the restaurant serve?
The restaurant will serve fresh seafood as well as Cajun and Southern dishes, including chicken and waffles, lobster rolls, jambalaya and surf and turf, according to the press release.
According to the restaurant’s website, entrees range in price from $13 for a Smash Burger to $28 for Lobster Mac & Cheese.
Mallards also offers a wine list, draft beer and craft cocktails, as well as desserts like homemade Key Lime Pie.
What will the restaurant look like?
Zach said Mallards is essentially a casual eatery, “but the food and experience are definitely upscale.”
“We definitely put passion and love into the food we cook. Everything that comes out of the kitchen is freshly prepared.”
The owners said Southern hospitality remains at the heart of their operations, the press release said.
When Zach first visited the Glendale location as part of his tour of potential new franchise locations (including in Florida and Arizona), he said, “It felt like home.”
“The people were so nice. And it wasn’t because they were nice to me because I was opening a restaurant. It was just like they were my people. We’re really excited to come to town.”
“Community is important to us and we can’t wait to bring something new and delicious to the North Shore,” the owners wrote in the press release.
Contact Claudia Levens at [email protected]. Follow her on X at @levensc13
